[ifwp] Re: announcement from the Berkman Center

-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Gomes <cgomes at internic.net>
To: IFWP Discussion List <list at ifwp.org>
Date: Sunday, August 30, 1998 6:29 AM
Subject: [ifwp] Re: announcement from the Berkman Center


>What CRITICAL functions is the IANA currently performing?  What would
happen to
>those functions if IANA did not perform them?
>
>There have been a lot of generalizations about IANA's critical role but I
don't
>think I have seen anyone SPECIFICALLY define that role.  It seems to me
that the
>only reasonable way to clearly decide how critical that role really is is
to look at
>the functions one by one in an honest, unemotional way.  In each case we
should
>answer these questions: who is actually performing the function?  what
impact would
>there be if IANA was not involved?  what would happen if IANA did not have
any
>funding come October 1st?  would the stability of the Internet be affected
in any
>way? if so, how?
>
>This is not in anyway intended to denigrate any of the accomplishments that
Jon may
>have accomplished in the past, but rather to help us look honestly at the
present.
>If we are unwilling to do this, then it is absurd to create a new
organization to
>replace the existing functionality of the current IANA.
>
>Chuck Gomes
>


I AGREE 100.00%

Not only should we document what critical functions
the IANA provides, but also what critical functions
that they DO NOT PROVIDE !!!!

For the past few years, people with very little knowledge
have been allowed to claim that the IANA performs
some function, when in fact the IANA does not. Unfortunately,
the small staff at the IANA and it's Director Jon Postel
has not seen the need to dispute people's claims. On one
hand people should be able to understand that it is not
Jon's duty to run around the net reading every word spoken
about the IANA and setting the record straight when the
words are not true. On the other hand, when groups like
the ISOC, IAHC, CORE, POC, PAB, EXCOM, etc. make
claims such as, "The IANA will be adding TLDs to the
legacy Root Name Servers", those claims should be
disputed. Jon Postel was not forthcoming in making it
clear what he could do and could not do.

At the present time, we know a couple of things that
the IANA is not able to do.

1. The IANA can not add new TLDs to the legacy Root
Name Servers.

2. The IANA can not add entries to the IN-ADDR.ARPA
zone except via ARIN where Jon Postel is a Board member.

If people follow Chuck's advice, we should separate
Jon Postel from the IANA. Just because Jon Postel may
be able to do something does not mean the IANA can
do the same thing. If and when Jon Postel helps the ITAG
and/or a board create the so-called IANA Inc. in California
the same approach should hold. People need to clearly
look at that NEW corporation as a legal agent, distinct
from the Jon Postel human agent, and make sure they
clearly understand what each agent can and CAN NOT do.


Jim Fleming
Unir Corporation - http://www.unir.com






-------- Logged at  Mon Aug 31 22:27:22 MET DST 1998  ---------